Tilting the Balance
by Troubled Produce
Summary: Jasper Cullen is my best friend with benefits. Emmett Cullen is like a big brother to me. But Edward Cullen? He's a mystery I have yet to solve. AH. AU.
1. Chapter 1

"Bellaaaa." I heard the sing-songey voice calling my name from behind and slowly turned around to face him.

"_What?"_ I hissed quietly. Mr. Banner was staring intently at his computer screen, undoubtedly at some pornographic website.

Jasper leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "I need a pencil," he said, trying to contain his laughter. He had two sharpened pencils sitting on his desk. His cool breath sent shivers coursing through my body.

"If you don't shut up we're both failing the test," I warned him. He merely rolled his eyes and started to tug at the ends of my hair.

"I'll be your best friend," Jasper pleaded with a pout.

"You _are_ my best friend," I reminded him.

"And what are best friends for?" He retaliated with his signature victory smirk.

"Fine."

He reached up to grab my spare pencil, brushing my nipple through my shirt as he went. I gasped from the much-enjoyed contact. He winked and went back to scribbling on his paper. It was amazingly difficult to be mad at him when I was aroused, which Jasper very well knew, and used to his advantage.

After fifteen minutes of sheer boredom passed, a shrieking bell never sounded so good. It meant freedom. I set my test down in the tray on Banner's desk, Jasper following closely behind me. I couldn't help but shriek when he pinched my ass quite roughly.

We made it to his dark blue truck in silence, walking quickly the whole time. I could hear his shoes hit the gravel a few inches behind me. Once we were inside the cozily warm car, he made a beeline for my neck. His amazingly warm tongue licked circles around my collarbone. My breathing became uneven and fast, and I began to moan in pleasure. He groaned deeply, the vibrations from his voice making me shudder.

"What was up with you in"—gasp—"there? You're hornier than"—gasp—"usual," I inquired, my voice breaking when he nipped at the tender skin. My hands knotted into his curly blonde hair as he pulled away from the soon-to-be-bruised area on my neck.

"Well, God almighty, Bella, what do you expect? You come in here wearing your skin-tight jeans and your fucking tank top and you expect me to have full control over my dick? It's been suffering all day."

"I guess I better make it up to you," I suggested, my hands lunging for his large silver belt buckle. My fingers crawled down to stroke his erection through his jeans, but he immediately grabbed both of my wrists in his hands, eyes tightly shut, breaths ragged and labored.

"We can't…" Jasper groaned. "We're meeting Emmett at my house to study in ten and as much as I want to just take you and…" He exhaled sharply. "The point is, we can't."

I looked down at his steering wheel, slightly rejected, and not quite wanting to make eye contact, until he pulled my chin up and ravaged my mouth with such urgency that I had to smile into the kiss.

"Don't be sad, darlin'," he said with his panty dropping southern drawl.

"If were not going to…you know, I think I'll drive and meet you at your house," I told him, and leaned in to place a light peck on the cheek, but before I could get out he grabbed me firmly by the arm. I smiled a little excitedly.

"Change your mind?" I asked hopefully.

"I don't want you driving in that safety hazard until I can get Emmett to give it a thorough inspection. It could break down at any minute. I'm taking you." His tone was defiant and I decided it best not to cross him. Not to mention him saying he was going to "take me" brought on a stream of dirty thoughts. As I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, I doubted I could keep my hands to myself for another minute, even if we were just two minutes out of the parking lot.

I nonchalantly placed my hand on his knee and began to rub back and forth, inching further and further up his thigh.

"Bella…"

"Just relax and drive Jasper," I demanded as I leaned forward to lick the spot under his ear. I bit down hard and he swerved off the road for a second.

"Bella!"

"Sorry. I just wanted to touch you," I said meekly, watching for his response and hoping he wasn't angry.

"And trust me, I want you to touch me but those little fingers of yours and your teeth are lethal. Please don't be sad, baby. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just got some bad news this morning and I'm in a weird mood."

"Is everything ok?" I asked, not wanting to pry.

He laughed. "Everything's fine. We're here. How about I tell you inside?"

I opened my own door, even if Jasper insisted on being a gentleman.

Emmett was sprawled out on the couch in the middle of the living room, tossing and catching a hacky sack. "Hey fuckers," he called out. I was guessing he had found a way to skip sixth period.

"Hi Emmett. How are you?" I asked cheerfully, leaning down to peck him on the forehead. He bolted upright and gave me a puzzling look.

"How the hell can you be so chipper? Have you even told her, Jasper?" Emmett bellowed.

Jasper took a deep breath and rolled his eyes before coming to sit on the couch, setting his elbows on his knees. "I guess you're going to have to hear it sometime. Emmett, can you just tell her?"

Emmett smiled and pulled me into the seat next to him. "Do you remember when our family moved here last year?"

"A little hard to forget," I admitted.

The Cullen's arrival made a splash in the dreary, mundane town of Forks. They moved from a boarding school in Virginia, where they were sent by their parents for their obscent behavior. Unlike most they almost instantly befriended the shy, weird girl that preferred to sit quietly in the back of the classroom writing pointless notes in the margins of books. Because of my father's warnings of the boys' records, I was weary to spend time with them, but before long I couldn't help it. I was drawn to their exuding confidence and humorous ways of approaching everything.

"And do you remember Edward?" Jasper pitched in, pulling me out of the flashback.

"You guys have told me stories," I said, trying to remember them speaking of him.

Edward was their cousin, the same age as Jasper. He attended the same boarding school in Virginia, but unlike Jasper and Emmett, he stayed in Virginia to finish the year.

"Well," Emmett began with hesitation. "He's moving in with us on Saturday."

"Wow, that's...big. When did you guys find out?" I asked. To be honest, that was all I could think of saying. I was at a loss for words.

Jasper looked at the ground and took a slow breath. "About two weeks ago." He looked up to see the startled expression that was surely written across my face. "We just wanted to wait for it to be official before telling you. We thought maybe things would work out with his family to where he could live with them, but no such luck. His family's pretty screwed up, I'll admit that much. And Carlisle, always wanting to do the annoyingly right thing, told his sister that her God-awful son could stay with us for a while."

I probably should have been offended that they hadn't relayed this to me sooner, but there was one lingering question on my mind. "Why is he so awful?"

"He's a dick," Jasper stated.

"Douche," Emmett agreed.

"Faggot," Jasper yelled.

"Queer," Emmett retorted.

"Okay, okay. All of those words are very colorful, but not an explanation. You make him sound like the anti-Christ," I told them with a slight scoff in my voice. "I've changed my mind. You can keep your angst bottled up. I don't want to know what he did to make you despise him so. I'll meet him in three days and I'll make an unbiased desicion on him myself."

"No. You won't. Jasper barked. You're staying far far away from him. You won't go anywhere remotely close to him. You hear me?"

He was full-out yelling at me now and even Emmett could sense that I was truly frightened, so he held me tightly, trying to comfort me.

"Don't talk to her like that, man! She didn't fucking do anything to you. How about you get your damnhead out of your ass and apologize to her?" Emmett ordered in my defense.

Jasper ran one hand through his hair, tugging at the ends, and I could tell he didn't mean to burst like he did. I pulled him into a hug and he quickly wrapped his arms around me too. "Bella, you know you're my best friend."

"I know."

"And you know I didn't mean to upset you or yell at you."

"I know."

"And you know I wasn't kidding about my cousin. If he gets within ten feet of you I swear to God…"

"Way to ruin a moment, Jas," I said, half joking. I think I'm going to study on my own tonight. We had to play volleyball in gym today and I'm exhausted. Can you drive me home? My car's at the school." I said, not caring how much of a blow-off it sounded like. I just needed to get home and in my own bed.

"Of course. Come on." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me out to the car. The ride home was just as awkward as being in the house. I pressed my forehead against the fogged from frost window and mouthed out the lyrics to the Bryan Adams song playing softly from his stereo.

"Charlie's not waiting on the porch as usual. What's up with that?" Jasper asked as we approached the house.

"He's having dinner with Sue at her house tonight. At about eleven, he's going to call and say he's spending the night because the roads are dangerous that late," I responded without lifting my head. The scene had played out time after time ever since Charlie and Sue began seeing each other a few months ago.

"Does this mean I can kiss you goodnight?" Jasper asked, trying to be sweet.

I discreetly rolled my eyes and wished he would, just for once, listen and possibly empathize with my problems. I got suddenly mad at Charlie for leaving me in the house alone tonight so he could go see his damn girlfriend. What was I thinking? I liked Sue. She made my dad happy, which is what I wanted, wasn't it?

I didn't know what I wanted, what I was thinking. I needed to clear everything out of my head, just get rid of all the thoughts whirling around and I knew there was one way I could do that. I looked up at my best friend through my eyelashes. "Do you want to come inside, Jasper?"

A sly smile slid across his face. "Why are we still sitting here then?"

The moment we got inside, Jasper lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor in the corner of the room. I peeled off my own thin top as his hands wrapped around my waist. In a matter of seconds, his jeans were lying in the same pile. I led him up the stairs and he fell back onto my bed, pulling me on top of him.

And having him look at me the way be did, like I was something miraculous, gave me the confidence to ask the question.

"What's your cousin like?"

Jasper's eyes shot open he just stared at me for the quickest second before blinking. "He's completely secluded from the world. No friends. No girlfriend. He hardly spoke to any of us when we were at school together, and we haven't had contact since."

I turned my head to look out the window, taking in his words before he used the crook of his finger to move my face in his direction, putting me back in his gaze.

"I'm having a little trouble realizing why I have a beautiful girl sitting right on top of me, half-naked, might I add, and we're discussing my socially moronic cousin." The small chuckle that followed the sentence lightened the fact that he was bashing his own cousin.

I smiled back at him weakly, signaling him to continue.

I closed my eyes and tried my best to give in to the kisses he was placing in a line down to my bellybutton, freeing me of everything whirling around in my mind rapidly.

I gasped as he ran his finger over the area just above my jeans and I threw my head back in immense pleasure.

And I began to feel the same feeling I had every time this happened.

I was withdrawn from the world, away from all thoughts, and absent from myself.


	2. Chapter 2

I managed to steer clear of the Cullen house on Thursday, just needing a day to collect myself, but when I returned Friday, the house had an eery vibe to was awkward. Both Jasper and Emmett seemed to be in a mood, undoubtedly because they knew no matter what they did, or how much they whined, their cousin would be arriving tomorrow.

Jasper was sitting stiffly next to me on the sofa, rapidly hitting his denim-covered knee with the eraser of his pencil. He obviously wasn't focusing on the open textbook laid out on the table in front of us.

"Jasper, what is an oligarchy?" I asked again. The third time seemed to be the charm, as he snapped his head up and glanced at his book. I could tell his mind was far away from our history lesson so I closed the books and set them aside.

"Is everything ok?" I asked.

He shot me a watered-down smile and sighed. "It's just this whole Edward thing. He's coming _tomorrow_. I haven't seen the guy in awhile and we didn't exactly say goodbye on the best of terms." He sighed sharply and shook his head. "Just…forget it."

Emmett came barreling down the stairs and into the living room with the same scowl Jasper had been sporting. "Less than 24 hours until Doomsday," he announced with a humorless laugh as he grabbed an apple from the plastic drawer in the bottom of the fridge. With a mouth full of chewed food, Emmett came in and plopped right into the space between Jasper and me, lazily putting an arm around each of our shoulders.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" the beast that was Emmett inquired. I wiped the tiny chunk of apple he spat off of my forehead.

"I actually have to get home pretty soon. It's almost seven, and I still have to get home and make dinner for Charlie, since apparently no studying is taking place here tonight." I eyed the books lying idly on the table before picking them up and sliding them down into my bag.

Jasper shrugged out of Emmett's embrace and walked with me to his truck. I was tempted to ask him another question about Edward, but I knew he would simply dodge it, like he had been since the news was broken to me on Wednesday. The only thing I did know for certain was that Edward would be here tomorrow night and I could then see the "catalyst" for myself.

As we drove back to my house, I envisioned what Edward would look like. Would he have the brown, curly hair that Emmett did or the wavy, shaggy blonde mop that Jasper had? I wondered if he would have Emmett's bulky build or Jasper's lean yet muscular body. My mind was constantly thinking of the different images that shot up when I thought of his name. The very limited amounts of information Jasper and Emmett gave me just left more for me to wonder about.

Charlie's cruiser was parked in its normal spot in the driveway and I made no effort to hide my smile. He had spent last night in La Push again, and as childish as it was, I missed him.

"Thanks for the ride, Jasper," I called out over my shoulder to Jasper, who merely lifted two fingers in acknowledgement. I decided against knocking and just used the house key on my ring.

I shut the door softly behind me. "Hey dad I'm ho—oh."

Sue and Charlie were sitting at the kitchen table, laughing at something one of them had said. They both had plates of pasta in front of them. Charlie looked up from his plate and grinned. "Hey Bells."

I tried to maintain the faltering smile on my face. "Hi Dad; Sue." It was still slightly awkward talking to Sue for some reason. She was a sweet woman but I just tensed up whenever I got around her.

"You're home pretty early, kiddo," Charlie said. He normally demanded I was back from the Cullen's at no later than seven on school nights, eight on weekends. I understood why he seemed so leniant and eager to have me out of the house—I was interrupting their date.

I suddenly felt out of place and unwanted. "Well, Jasper and I decided to study here instead. He's outside getting the books. I'm gonna get out of your way now," I said, maintaining the fake smile.

I jogged out to the porch and gave silent thanks that Jasper's truck was still parked at the curb. He was banging on the steering wheel in frustration. "Truck won't start," he explained simply when I leaned up against his window.

"Come in," I suggested, although it came off as more of a question.

Jasper hesitated, looking back an forth between me and the cruiser, before answering. "Um, yeah, sure."

Charlie looked up at Jasper and scowled at him. _Now _he decided to pay attention. Of course. "Hello Jasper," my father greeted him curtly.

"Hola Susan, hey Chiefy," Jasper retorted and scooped a roll out of the basket on the table. I snorted loudly and Charlie's glare shot to me.

"It's Chief Swan, Jasper. And Sue," my father said in a condescending tone.

I rolled my eyes. "We'll be upstairs studying," I told Charlie as I walked up the stairs. As much as he wanted to, Charlie wouldn't object.

------

It may have only lasted a few minutes, but it was time where the room was silent other than the few soft moans and sighs filling the air. No talking, no one asking me if I was okay or if I needed to talk.

It was time I so desperately needed.

As I nuzzled my head into Jasper's neck, inhaling his spicy and slightly erotic scent, I knew there would only be a few moments before he got up, pulled on his jeans and Rolling Stones t-shirt and left me here in my bed, naked and alone with my thoughts.

"Bella," he said as he kissed the top of my head. "I gotta get home, but I'll see you tomorrow."

_Yep. _Right on schedule.

Although I knew he had to leave sometime, I still felt disappointed. Jasper obviously sensed this. "I feel like a total asshole for having sex with you and leaving, but Esme's forcing me to ride to the airport with her and Emmett tomorrow. Plus, I think we both know if I'm not out of here in a minute, Charlie's shotgun will make contact with my head. Promise me you'll come over tomorrow night though. If I'm gonna be stuck in there with him, I could use a little…company." His face looked expectant and a little desperate at the same time.

"Sure, I'll call you tonight."

"Okay. Bye Bella."

"Bye Jas," I whispered with my body turned to face the wall.

He collected his things from the floor and went downstairs. I watched from the small window above my bed as he climbed into his truck and made his way down the street. Gently pulling the bulky headphones over my ears, I turned on my music player and slowly fell asleep.

--

"Jasper!" I yelled when I saw him coming across the lawn. I slung my arms over his shoulders and squeezed.

"Hey Bella. Are you okay?" he asked with a chuckle when he noticed how frantic I was.

"I'm fine. I just missed you."

I squeezed my hand firmly and frowned. "Was your day seriously that bad?"

"It was horrid. I just sat in my room for hours on end. I actually started to wonder what I did for entertainment before I knew you guys. The downtime was good, but I missed you and Emmett." I told him. His expression seemed to lighten.

I had been sitting on the Cullen's front porch for the last five minutes waiting for them to come home. Emmett was just getting out of the car. He was on the phone as he went in the house, so he just waved and smiled as he passed me by.

I brushed a few drifting strands of hair from his eyes when Jasper spoke. "I actually can't remember the last time I spent an entire day with no communication with you. It killed me knowing I could have been hanging out with my favorite girl, but instead I was stuck in a car with Emmett and Sulky."

I laughed at the immature nickname he had given to his cousin. "You know you're mean, right?" I teased him.

"Well I'm cranky. How about we go out tonight? You, me, and Emmett can all go to Crowley's party tonight. Sound fun?" Jasper asked with a grin.

I hesitated and looked down at my shoes. "Why don't we just stay here tonight? We can watch an old movie and have popcorn and everything."

"Come on Bella. First of all, you know I _hate _all of that old movie shit and second, Edward's going to be lurking around the house all night. Let's go to the party."

And for some reason, I felt almost as if I couldn't deny.

"So where is your cousin?" I asked meekly, preparing for Jasper's nearly murderous reaction.

For once, he didn't wince at the very thought of Edward. "The fucking mama's boy is heading grocery store with Esme."

Jasper never seemed as cold to me as he did then. I let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm gonna go get ready. I'll meet you back at the house in fifteen."

--

I returned to the house twenty minutes later in jeans and a somewhat glittery tank top. The entire time I was driving over there I was jogging my memory trying to figure out why in hell's name I owned a glittery tank top.

Jasper answered the door in jeans and a t-shirt.

_Psh._

Of course he could show up in his casual clothes and I spent good time trying to work a flattening iron. "You ready to go?" I asked.

My head spun around to the driveway, where Esme's blue sedan was pulling up. Jasper scoffed.

"Come on. Let's go," Jasper insisted, pulling lightly on my forearm. I stumbled behind him, passing by Esme's car on the way to his truck.

I froze in my tracks when I peeked into the backseat. A face was pressed lightly against the window, partially obscured by strands of auburn brown hair. A pair of sharp green eyes shot up to mine and the person in the backseat stared at me intensely. His expression would have been blank if it weren't for the slight confusion portrayed on his blurred features.

As Jasper rushed me toward his truck, all the pieces fell together.

_Edward. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, this chapter is dedicated to Foolish Eyes, who, at this moment is being a total bitch and hovering over me like...a wallabee or some shit like that. I'm going to go smack her in the face. Heehee. **

_And we don't know_

_Just where our bones will rest_

_To dust, I guess_

_Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below_

_Double cross the vacant and the bored_

_They're not sure just what we have in the store_

"I don't know, Jasper. I like it, but that's just not my kind of thing. Sorry," I told him as I took the headphone out of my ear and handed it back to him. He didn't seem too offended, seeing as how he was always trying to recommend songs to me, but they never turned out to be my cup of tea.

"Ugh. Fuck you. You're so hard to please," Jasper laughed with a wink, his double meaning apparent.

I swatted him off with the paperback book in my hand. "You're so disgusting sometimes. You know that, right?" I shrieked. His face contorted in pain as he cringed away from me. "Wait, what did I do?"

"Spoke at a normal volume," Emmett barked up from his position of leaning against the wall of tires in front of us.

"Oh… sorry." Jasper and Emmett were both suffering from excruciating hangovers from Tyler Crowley's party last night.

I mumbled my apology and turned back to my book.

"For Christ's sake, Bella. Put your goddamned book up, stop apologizing, and come take a hit." Jasper's voice was louder than mine, and I saw Emmett wince.

"No," I said with flared nostrils, standing my ground. "I refuse to take part in your fuckery."

First period began in twenty minutes and we were all lingering by the old J.R.O.T.C. training field, a small piece of land with several obstacles for the students to use. They usually came out a few minutes before school to take a quick smoke, but when the school's own personal pothead, Ross Durst, met us here once a week, Jasper would get high and make a complete idiot out of himself, being bossy and rude.

Jasper rolled his eyes at me and shot me the finger.

"Asshole," I muttered underneath my breath. I didn't hate him; I just couldn't be around him when he was like this. I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked over to the tire wall where Emmett was hanging upside down, his face bright red from the blood rushing to it.

"Bella?" He asked, squinting. I waved and he swung himself back up and jumped off the tires gracefully—as graceful as one could be when they weighed about two hundred and fifty muscular pounds. I laughed at his good-natured smile. "What's up?"

Emmett had a cigarette between his teeth and he wiggled it up and down. His bright nature was infectious, and all anger I had towards Jasper was wiped away when the blonde haired boy ran over and leaned up against a fence, pulling me firmly forward so that I was leaning against him with all my weight. Emmett sank back against the tires, taking a long drag from his cigarette. He blew comical smoke rings straight towards my face, and I couldn't deny the smoke had a certain sweet, alluring smell to it.

"Um… Emmett?" I asked meekly. He raised his eyebrows. I cleared my throat. "Uh… do you think… maybe… I could try that?"

Emmett looked from me to the cigarette several times before a mischievous smirk covered his face. Jasper pulled both earplugs out and looked at me with shock and laughed.

"You serious?" Emmett asked, verifying to make sure I wasn't joking. I nodded to assure him and he held up the cigarette. "I can't blame you. Camel cigarettes—giving pleasure since 1914. Now, I've only been giving pleasure since 1991 but you get my dri—"

"Not a chance, Emmett," I chuckled, blowing off his playful comment like I did every other day.

His face dropped and he stuck out his bottom lip in a childlike pout. "Why not?"

"Because, Emmett," I began dutifully, "I intend on having sex with your brother today after school when you're at lacrosse practice, and having sex with you would be both whorey and a bit too 'Flowers In the Attic' for me. But thanks anyway." I shot him a mockingly sweet smile. "Now hand over the cigarette."

Emmett's eyebrows rose at my defiant tone but he held the thin cigarette out to me. I leaned in to get it, accidentally pushing my backside into Jasper's hips. I smiled when I heard his throaty groan before I took the cigarette out of Emmett's hands. I held it between my middle and pointer finger awkwardly, not knowing exactly what to do with it.

"May I?" Jasper offered, wrapping his arms around me and holding the cigarette steadily. "Okay, just wrap your lips around the tip and inhale, and try to hold the smoke in for a bit. Just don't swallow it."

I sucked in gently, the smoke entering my mouth and lungs. I kept it there for several moments, reveling in the sensual taste it had to it.

"Whoa, exhale!" Jasper insisted. I let the smoke flow from my mouth, out of my parted lips, and into the air.

"Damn, Swan." He chuckled softly. "You can hold your smoke longer than Emmett. You didn't even cough."

I smiled meekly. "Thanks...I guess. I'm not making this a habit though."

Jasper frowned and flipped me around towards him. "Why not? God, you look hot when you smoke."

"Oh really?" I asked, in my best attempt to be coy. "Maybe one day I'll take you to the renaissance fair and you can get off on the fire eaters." I flicked his nose and giggled.

"That's cute, Bella. _Real_ cute. Your humor astounds me." Jasper's tone was heavy with sarcasm but he had a playful smirk on his face.

"I don't know man. I thought that was pretty funny," Emmett bellowed. I turned around to see that he was still hanging upside down from a tire.

"Why are you hanging like a bat?" I asked.

"Oh man, you have to try it. You get, like, a natural high when the blood goes to your head. It's like...I'm walking on sunshine."

Both Jasper and I groaned. "Please don't..."

" _I used to think maybe you love me, now baby I'm sure," _Emmett began to wail in a high, squeaky voice.I groaned again as Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose and stifled a chuckle._ "And I just can't wait till the day, when you knock on my door…"_

He jogged over and twirled me around before placing one hand on my hip and the other on my shoulder, swaying me back and forth. I gave in to his gyrating movements, finding myself actually dancing with him. "_Now every time I go for the mail box, gotta hold myself down, 'cause I just can't wait till you write me, you're coming aro—"_

"Ow!" I hissed suddenly. A dull pain fell onto my foot and I shrieked. Emmett had stepped on my left foot quite hard and abruptly stopped his movements.

"Shit! What was that?" I asked through clenched teeth.

Emmett nodded his headed forward. "Edward."

I spun around just in time to see darkly dressed figure walking toward the school. "Oh." Curiosity was racing through my veins.

"Jesus Christ," Jasper mumbled, snarling a little and threw his joint to the ground, grinding it into the grass with the heel of his shoe. "Come on, let's go."

He began stomping angrily toward the building, his hold on my arm firm the entire way. Emmett trailed closely behind the two of us. When we got to the parking lot, Jasper stopped in his tracks. "Shit. I left my phone in the truck. You two go ahead—I'll catch up later."

Emmett was trying to remember a dirty joke he had heard last night as we walked to the entrance of the school. My eyes sifted through the clusters of people grouped around cars chatting, but hadn't found who I was looking for.

_Was I looking for Edward?_

No. Not looking for Edward, just looking around aimlessly. _Sure. _I wasn't even convincing myself. There was nothing wrong with being curious about the cousin of my two best friends.

"Hey, we got a few minutes before first period. Instead of lurking in the library, do you think you can manage to hang out with my friends for a just a little while?" Emmett asked.

I hesitated before giving him an answer. "Yeah… sure."

He leaned down to peck me on the forehead, and it was the small, kind gesture that reminded that all I had to do was get through five minutes of awkward conversation with "jocks," first and second period, and I was back with Jasper and Emmett, in my comfort zone once again.

He walked away to join the small group of people gathered together beside a big black truck. How Emmett carried a conversation with the group of dim-witted lacrosse players was beyond me. He was far smarter than he led on, yet he spent countless hours talking to feeble-minded morons like Mike Newton.

_Ugh. _

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I saw Mike begin to walk toward me.

_Quick, Emmett, put your arm around me now. Scare him off._

Didn't work.

Mike came up to me and smiled brightly. He was, for lack of better words, adorable. I could not say he was particularly attractive with his baby face and soft blonde hair mussed into spikes. However, he lacked the rugged, disheveled appearance that displayed maturity.

"Hey Swan," he called out brightly. He pulled me into an awkward one-armed hug, wrapping his arm around my lower back. I couldn't help to cringe away from his borderline inappropriate touch. I pulled my face farther away from his and felt myself begin to shake softly from being so nervous.

"You cold?" he asked, noticing my trembling. When I felt his grasp around my waist get tighter, I quickly pulled away.

"Yeah, just cold. I have to get to class soon, but I'll see you later." My statement came off as more of a question, but I turned to walk away before he could answer. I threw Emmett a quick wave and went into the building.

Feeling the relief of the cool air conditioning, I shed the light jacket I was wearing, letting the chilled air hit my arms. I stopped by my locker to get my science book and walked straight to class.

Once there, I planted myself in the back of the class and discreetly slipped a pair of earbuds into my ears. The girl in the desk in front of me shot me a look when she heard me drumming my fingers on the desk. I slipped down lower in the seat, and until lunch rolled around, I stayed under the radar completely.

--**--

The moment third period was dismissed, I darted down the halls to the cafeteria and found Jasper leaning up against the white brick walls, one foot propped up and arms crossed. I saw his eyes dart around the room, lifting his head up to get a look over everyone.

"Looking for anyone in particular?" I asked, trying to frighten him. Jasper didn't seem the least bit startled. He just glanced over at me with an annoyed look.

"Edward. I haven't seen him all day and I don't want him wandering around like a lost puppy, looking like an idiot." He sounded disgusted even bringing up Edward's name.

"Oh. So how did the first meeting go?" I asked, trying not to sound too curious.

Jasper just made a snorting noise. "Esme actually made us help the douche bag unpack. I swear the homo has more books and CDs than anyone I've ever met. I mean, seriously, he has Pavarotti. Who in fuck's name listens to him?" I stifled a laugh. I had never dared to show Jasper my classical and opera collections, knowing the reaction would be exactly like this one.

"I don't know, Jasper. Did you ever think that maybe he has different taste in things than you? People are entitled to their own opinions. Not everything has to be the way you think it should be. It's called thinking outside the box." I hadn't realized just how harsh my rant came off until Jasper's eyebrows shot up.

"Sorry," I added. "I just meant that you shouldn't judge him by the books he reads or the music he listens to."

Jasper nodded slowly, seeming to take in what I was saying. "I'm judging him on the seventeen years I've known the guy, and all the ways he acts and everything he does. Just trust me when I tell you that the anger I'm holding towards him is well deserved, okay?"

"Alright," I said and Jasper began to rub my circles in my arm with his thumb in a soothing motion. The cold air now seemed like it was beating down on me, and I wish my jacket wasn't still in my locker. "I think I'm going to go outside and sit. I don't have too much of an appetite today."

Before he could reply, I slid my arm out of his palm and exited through the double doors in the back of the cafeteria. The small amount of sunlight coming down felt amazing on my freezing skin. I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail high up on my head and took a seat on the bench-like seat placed in the grass. Just as I was pulling out a paperback copy of _Crime and Punishment_, I heard a rustling in the tree behind me and jumped, a small shriek escaping my lips.

My book flew out of my hand and onto the ground a few feet away. I stood up and went to go retrieve it, going around the bench and past the tree. My startled convulsion had thrown the book surprisingly far. I bent down to pick it up, brushing the dirt off the cover.

A branch suddenly snapped behind me, cracking loudly, and I shot up to see what happened. A curse was muttered sharply but lowly, and I peered through the branches to see the source.

My breathing hitched when I saw the figure clad in a leather jacket, thick book in hand, crouching in the tree branches directly above me.

* * *

**I'm a bitch. I know this much is true. If you would like this looming tree boy to come and whisk you away, I suggest you click the green button below and leave me some muthafucking sugaa. **


	4. Chapter 4

Upon seeing a darkly dressed, mysterious looking teenage boy reading in a tree, the first instinct would be to run. Although the thought had crossed my mind, the forest green eyes disabled me from moving from my frozen position. I knew it was Edward, I knew several things about him from Emmett, and he was the cousin of my best friends, yet I simply could not formulate a simple greeting. I had seen his blurred face from the tinted window of Esme's car, but never had I imagined him to look like...this. The small bit of stubble on his jaw and large, wild eyebrows casting shadows on his eyes gave him a very matured essence.

"I'm Bella." Wow Bella, smooth. "I'm friends with Jasper and Emmett. I've heard a lot about you," I said with a smile.

His more than intense stare didn't falter one bit as he muttered a greeting. "Hello." I fumbled with the pocket of my jeans, waiting or him to say more, until I realized that certainly wasn't happening. His eyes drifted back to the book in his hand, and mine followed.

"1984? Great book. I read it for required reading my freshman year, but I've read it twice since then. It's absolutely incredible," I said, ranting on about the book.

Edward waited a few seconds, slowly flipped a page, and then clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Yeah, it's fine, I guess."

There seemed to be an impenetrable layer of ice between us, and it was obvious I would be the one breaking it. "So, have you read anything else by him? George Orwell is a genius." He snapped his book and looked up at me, the annoyance very clear. "No. I haven't."

I could tell that this was definitely the cold shoulder he was giving me. As hard as I tried to conceal my anger, I could help to mutter something under my breath as I turned to walk off. "Great; the school has it's very own Oscar Levant."

I was heading back to the front entrance of the school when his voice rang out. "You know, most people considered Levant to be not only a complete and total hermit, but a psychopath," He called to me. I turned around, completely startled that he even knew who I was referring to, and even more startled when I saw the smirk on his face and detected light humor in his voice.

"Well, I like to think that I'm not most people."

After the more than awkward encounter with Edward, I had completely forgotten to finish my lunch, and went on to the library to renew a book before the bell rang.

Lunch was in fifth period, so I gritted my teeth through the last class of the day, with Jasper in the desk directly behind me. The fifty minutes of class time seemed to drag on for hours with Banner's incessant lecturing and Jasper himself being a nonstop distraction. I swear tears of joy almost fell when the bell rang. I quickly shuffled out the door and met Emmett in the parking lot. Jasper was staying late to make up a test in biology, and I had the opportunity to ride in the Jeep, something I would never pass up.

"Buckle up," Emmett said playfully, knowing I was extremely conscious about vehicular safety. "Oh come on Belly, no snappy comeback? What's up, boo?"

I cracked a small smile, but I knew Emmett could tell something needed to be said, and chances of him dropping it were slim to none. I also knew his friendly attitude was about to be swept away.

"I met Edward today."

I watched anxiously as Emmetts jaw visibly locked and he ground his teeth, nostrils flared. "Emmett?" I asked. Anything was better than the awkward silence hanging in the car.

"Bella," Emmett started slowly. "You realize you're the most danger prone person I know, right?"

"Emmett, it was completely acci-"

"Let me finish. Talking to him was completely stupid and moronic. BUT. Its really not my place to be angry with you or him."

"What?" I asked in disbelief. Anger was always Emmett's place.

Now Emmett was widely smiling as he started the jeep. "Nope, it's my place to punish you by calling you Belly, Boo, and Bizzle for as long as I want. Blind rage and extreme violence against Edward; that's Jasper's place."


End file.
